Distance
by lovelyambroses
Summary: Sequel/continuation of "Drift". Paige and Seth thought they had everything figured out, running around behind everybody's backs. But, what happens when the one thing that is supposed to bring two people together threatens to tear them apart?
1. Chapter 1

**a/n:** _What? What is this? Is this an actual sequel to Drift? After over a year? It is!_

 _I really shouldn't be starting a new story, but I had to. Updates might be scarce, but they'll be up when they can be._

 _If you haven't read the first story, I recommend you go read it so that you aren't confused! Regardless, everybody should be able to follow this story without a problem. Drift was one of my most popular stories so I couldn't help but write a sequel, plus change some things up. I hope this story is still as interesting as the prior!_

 _Let me know your thoughts! As always, I do not own any characters unless stated._

* * *

With a flip of raven-dark hair over her pale shoulder, Paige grasped the bathroom sink firmly. Her breathing was heavy and random, but she was breathing nonetheless.

 _How could I be so stupid?_ Paige shook her head. She knew she wasn't stupid. Well, at least not in the technical way. She was intelligent and she knew how to handle herself, but when it came to her emotions, she was as blind as a bat. There wasn't a single thing she could do to control herself when it came to dealing with the emotions that coursed through her veins.

Her black-painted fingernails tapped against the marble countertop of the hotel bathroom. Once she entered the hotel, she couldn't spare enough time to hurry up to her room, so she settled for the bathroom to the right of the lobby. Luckily, she was the only one inside and she locked herself away in the room so she could remain alone. She just needed some space to continue her frantic breathing.

Paige's heart continued to pound against her chest as her eyes trailed up to the mirror where she stared at her reflection. Outlines of tears were stained in her foundation and her dark eyeshadow had smeared under her eyes, emphasizing her dark circles. She ridiculed herself for even wanting to cry. What were tears going to do?

Nothing. Tears did nothing. They didn't settle her fear or change what was happening. All they did was ruin her makeup and make her feel weaker. Absolutely worthless.

Paige closed her eyes and wiped away another tear before drying off her hand with the side of her pants. She was about to splash some water on her face when the timer on her phone went off and she jumped slightly at the sound.

A deep, shaky breath was inhaled. Paige shook her head multiple times before turning the timer off. With another deep breath, she slowly reached out to her left and picked up the plastic stick to check the results. Of course, just as she'd expected, they were positive.

"Shit," she breathed.

Paige didn't even stare at the test for longer than five seconds before dropping it into the sink. Her entire body began to shake. Knowing that she should rake a hand through her hair and hurry out of the bathroom before someone tried to enter, Paige quickly swiped the test out of the sink and tossed it into the trash. She ran some soap and water over her hands carelessly, dried them with a paper towel, and then unlocked the door to leave.

She didn't bother checking her makeup in the mirror before darting out of the enclosed room. Her feet beat her to the elevators, where she pressed the floor number where she knew he was staying. She needed to see him and tell him. Regardless of how he would react, she needed him to know.

More than anything, she needed him to tell her everything would be okay.

The elevator took forever to reach the sixth floor, but as soon as the doors slid open, Paige was sprinting down the hall. She knew his room number because he always requested the same number no matter which hotel they were staying at that week.

The hall was confusing, with intricate turns and random closets on every stretch, but she eventually found the door she was looking for. One deep sigh later, Paige's fist was banging against the door. The next few silent seconds were excruciatingly long, but she managed to withstand them.

If a door could open any slower, Paige would be surprised. The cool air that hit her face once the door was open brought fresh tears to Paige's eyes, but she swallowed them down.

"Paige? Have you been crying?"

The British woman held herself together for a moment before breaking back down. Her head shook along with her body and her bottom lip quivered. "No," she mumbled quietly.

She found herself within his arms and he pulled her into his room. Despite usually feeling safe in the reach of his body, she felt worse than ever being wrapped in his scent. Their lives were about to be twisted and tugged into a million directions and there wasn't anything they could do about it that felt right.

"Tell me what's wrong, Paige."

Paige buried her head into the nook of his neck and sobbed. "I can't..."

"Yes, you can. Use your words."

The woman moved her arms up his sides until they were locked behind his back. She didn't want to move anymore. She just wanted to be still.

His words didn't soothe any part of her. There wasn't anything she could think of that would help besides alcohol, which she knew was a bad idea for obvious reasons. All she could do was bawl her eyes out and stay standing in his arms. That was the only thing she could think to do.

"Paige..." He pulled apart slightly so that they were looking into each other's eyes. "You can tell me anything, remember? We aren't dating, but you can still tell me anything and I won't judge. I'm here to listen."

Why weren't his words helping? He was being as sweet as he could manage, but it didn't make a difference. She couldn't stop crying. He deserved better than this.

Without answering, she dove back into his arms and returned her face to the wetness on the shoulder of his shirt. It was uncomfortably comfortable to be in that position; standing just behind the closed door of his hotel room with her face resting against a soaking piece of cloth. She didn't want to move because she feared that any distance between them would cause her to fall to physical pieces.

"Paige," he muttered into her hair before pressing his lips against her skull to resemble a kiss. "What's going on?"

Silence took over the room. She slowly turned her head so that she was facing his neck, but her arms were still locked behind his back. She felt his fingers trace circles against her shoulders and while she knew it was meant to comfort her, she couldn't find an excuse to feel better. Everything was making her feel worse.

She knew she had to get the words out. She knew that she needed to just tell him. Only two words needed to be spoken. Only two. She could say two words.

A fragile breath was inhaled and exhaled before she spoke. Softly, she whispered his name. "Seth?"

Seth tightened his grip around her, hoping to make her feel better. His cheek was resting against the top of her head, but he could still hear her. "Yes?"

 _Say it. Just spit it out. You can do it._

"I'm pregnant," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n:** _Holy...wow. The response to the first chapter BLEW MY MIND! I love you all so much, it's ridiculous._

 _There aren't many words to describe how I feel besides thankful. I wouldn't have dared write a sequel - considering how unpopular mine tend to be - if it weren't for the overwhelming love Drift_ _received. To know that you all are just as excited for this edition of Paige and Seth's story as you were for the initial installment...it's just as overwhelming. Thank you!_

 _Let me know how you feel about this chapter, please! It would mean a lot!_

 _With love. :)_

* * *

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours. Two - hours - to be exact, passed before either Paige or Seth calmed down enough to talk through their confusion.

Seth, who was reasonably shocked out of his mind, was the first to speak. His words weren't as confident as he repeated in his mind, but he tried.

"So... What's the plan?"

 _What's the plan?_ Paige scoffed and wiped away the dozens of tears that covered her cheeks. "Really? That's all you have to say? We've practically sat here in silence for, like, ever. The least you could do is offer a fucking solution."

"Why are you so mad at me?" Seth stood up from the bed, where he sat next to Paige. "It isn't like I planned for this to happen."

"You could've fooled me!"

With a twist of his eyebrows, Seth sent her another confused expression. "You think I planned this?"

Paige shook her head. "I don't know! It's just suspicious!"

"My career is finally getting back on track after my injury," Seth explained. "Why would I plan something that could put that at risk?"

She took a steadying breath, although steady her it did not. "You're the one who always cracks jokes about marriage and living together forever. I always thought it was strange, considering you're also the one who has never been ready to tell people about us."

"Do you remember how long it took us to get together all those months ago?

"It's been a year."

"Okay, a year. Do you remember?" Paige nodded in response, so Seth continued. "The last thing I wanted to do was drag Dean, or Emma, or anybody else through our complicated lives. It's easier to work things out in private before you go and announce your plans to the world."

Paige covered her face with her hands and curled up into a ball at the end of the bed. She couldn't believe what was happening. She couldn't be pregnant. Physically, yes she could. Emotionally? Hell no. She wasn't ready for a child. She had a hard enough time keeping herself alive sometimes, so the thought of having to raise a human being in this world continuously forced the Brit to break down into sobs.

Seth had to look away from her as she cried. He couldn't stand to see her so emotional. It took a lot of effort for him to comfort her as she sobbed on his shoulder when she entered the room, but that was the best he could do. She was normally so in tune with her emotions, but this was obviously a different situation.

Parents? They couldn't be.

"We're going to figure something out," he promised.

She didn't know if it was an empty promise or if he would keep his vow. Paige could only nod and hold her hand just below her nose, preventing tears from spilling into her mouth.

Seth walked back and took his seat next to her on the bed. "This isn't going to change anything."

"It changes everything," she assured him.

He bit back his tongue. Of course, this changed everything - he wasn't an idiot. "We'll figure it out," he repeated, this time wrapping a soft hand around her head and pulling her in so he could place a gently kiss on her temple.

* * *

Everything was the same backstage.

Chairs were either folded up or settled down next to tables. Crew members scurried about their usual business while shuffling papers. Various wrestlers warmed up throughout the halls, their headphones methodically silencing their surroundings.

Everything was the same. Except, of course, that it wasn't.

There was one more person - growing - inside the building, hidden beneath the cloth of Paige's maroon tank-top. She shook her head, scolding herself for choosing such a tight-fitting top when she knew that there would have to be someone who noticed her unusually bloated abdomen. It wasn't sticking out in plain sight, but the right eye could sense the oddity.

Paige tucked a wavy tress behind her ear and continued walking down the hall until she recognized a friendly face. She wasn't about to reveal her condition to anyone besides Seth, but she needed to see someone who didn't remind her of her situation.

Therefore, she chose Emma.

"Are you busy?"

Emma looked up from her phone. "I always am, but never for you." She hopped off the large speaker she had settled on and adjusted her outfit so it fit more comfortably. "What's up?"

Despite being unwilling to tell her secret, Paige still checked around for eavesdroppers before speaking. "Nothing, really. I just wanted to see how everything was going."

"Everything is the same." Except, it's not. "I'm still me. Bored, exhausted, single, Emma."

 _Single._ How could Paige forget the infamous breakup between Emma and Dean? It isn't every day that your best friend storms into your shared hotel room and flushes her expensive engagement ring down the toilet before explaining what was going on. There were many reasons for their separation, all of which were complicated and annoying to hear over cheap beers and cardio training. In the end, it felt inevitable for them to move forward.

Even if they were disgustingly adorable together.

"Sounds exciting," Paige lied.

"What about you? You didn't just take me away from my phone for nothing."

Paige shrugged. "Can't a girl have a casual conversation with her best friend without being interrogated?"

"Not if that girl is you and that best friend is me." Emma crossed her arms and tilted her head, sending the Brit her side-eye. "What's going on?"

She couldn't even think about saying the words, so she knew she wasn't going to. Rather, she tip-toed backwards and shrugged again. "Same-old, same-old."

Emma wasn't buying it, but she chose not to press it. "Do you know when you're going to get back in the ring?"

 _Nine months - the earliest._ "Nope," she stated simply.

The Australian diva opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when her phone began to buzz. She checked who it was that needed her before glancing back up in Paige's direction. "We'll finish this later," she warned and then stepped off to the side to answer her phone.

Slowly, Paige walked away with her head down. While she had hoped a small conversation with her good friend would solve her problems - or at least calm her nerves - she was disappointed to find herself full of panic. There wasn't anything that could fix this.

She had already considered an abortion, but it felt wrong. She thought about it right after her test glowed with a positive result and before she decided to tell Seth. To put it simply, she didn't want to hurt Seth. She had no clue whether or not he was interested in fathering children, but she did know that if she took away his chance than it would only illuminate injustice.

Paige has had enough injustice in her life to know that she didn't want to spread any.

* * *

Seth wasn't _that_ into punching bags, but for some reason he couldn't shake the anger in his fists long enough to avoid shoving them into the surface of a heavy bag.

It didn't solve anything, but it satisfied him enough that he could think straight for more than thirty seconds.

He didn't really know why he was angry, though. There wasn't much he could do. For all it was worth, he had done his part. Although it's detestable, he could just walk away; though he knew he wouldn't. The rest of her pregnancy was up to Paige. She could terminate it, or she could keep it. She could raise the baby - with or without Seth - or she could give him or her away. She could decide what she ate, what she wore, what she did... It was all up to her.

All Seth could do was wait.

While a part of him relished in the idea of kicking back and relaxing for nine months, the rest of him was angry. Why? He still didn't know. He just was.

Punch after punch, nothing changed. That anger remained flowing steadily throughout his body, coursing through his veins and seeping through his skin in the form of sweat beads. While he hoped that each punch would result in bliss, none did. Eventually he had to give up. If he pushed any further he could injure himself and put himself in a much harder situation.

He plopped himself down on a bench and peeled the boxing gloves from his hands. He then took an average-sized white towel and wiped his forehead clean of sweat.

As he continued to watch other men and women parade around the gym, doing various exercises, he found himself in a fit of jealousy. Regardless of what those random individuals were going through at that point in their lives, it couldn't possibly compare to what he was dealing with. At least, not on the confusion scale.

Seth was unimaginably confused. One second, he and Paige were merely sleeping behind everybody's backs. The next, they were a public couple. A few seconds after, they broke up. Then, they returned to square one and kept it hidden from every living soul they could fathom. Dean, Emma, their parents... Everybody.

Everybody was out of the loop - except for them.

Sure, it was sexier but it held a higher risk. They had to explain everything now, to an extent.

He knew he cared about Paige. He couldn't deny how his heart skipped a million beats whenever they shared the same air. He couldn't pretend not to notice how warm his cheeks felt when he watched her get dressed after a night's rendezvous. He couldn't escape the feeling of falling in love with her whenever their eyes met. He kept it a secret, along with their relationship, but he never lied to himself about it.

Would he have to explain all of that too?


	3. Chapter 3

**a/n:** _This is a very late update, but I have never been so busy before in my life and there was absolutely no time for me to sit down and write a decent chapter. So, if this isn't up to par with my previous chapters, I apologize. This will just have to do._

 _Thank you, however, for sitting with me patiently! I hope that this chapter suits someone's needs!_

 _With love. :)_

* * *

"What do you want us to do about this?"

Paige chewed at her bottom lip as she traced the outline of frustration on Stephanie McMahon's face. Her husband, Paul, looked very similar. The only difference was that his anger had a dash of disappointment, which struck aggressively against Paige's spine.

The Brit sighed and sat up in her chair, afraid she appeared too casual. "I'm not sure what to do about it, myself."

"You won't be able to wrestle. That's obvious," Stephanie spat. She dropped down into her chair and began clicking away on her computer.

Paul didn't speak, but he did offer a relaxing gesture by seating himself on the edge of the large, wooden desk. His demeanor didn't change, so Paige was still concerned for her job.

"This wasn't easy to digest, trust me." Paige could feel tears welling up behind her eyes, but she swallowed down her cries. She was already weak in her bosses' eyes. She didn't need to hand over more evidence willingly. "If I could change it, I would."

"What do you mean by 'change it'?"

"Stephanie," Paul warned. His tone was harsh. It caused Paige to become even further unsettled.

Stephanie looked up at her husband with confusion. "What? I wasn't encouraging an abortion. She opened the door. I was simply having a look around to see what we're dealing with." The powerful woman returned her gaze to the younger woman. "What are we dealing with, exactly?"

Paige gulped silently. "I'm not entirely sure of how far along I am. I just found out yesterday morning."

Stephanie's annoyance was apparent in the dry scoff she used to cut the end of Paige's words. "Wonderful," she growled.

"Stephanie." Paul didn't bother looking over his shoulder at his wife, but rather continued staring off into the distance. The room was silent for a while before he spoke again, this time to Paige. "Have you planned an appointment with a doctor?"

His odd question confused Paige. She didn't understand his subtle sweetness. "I don't really know where to start with planning anything."

Paul nodded. He remembered being clueless when Stephanie was pregnant for the first time; he couldn't imagine how difficult it had to be, being as young as Paige and having to deal with the same situation, however. "I'm sure we can find you a good local doctor. You probably want someone who can accommodate with your schedule, especially if you want to continue travelling."

Stephanie's eyes focused on the back of Paul's head. She wasn't sure why he was being so generous with the young woman, considering his firm position on wrestling against all odds. This pregnancy, without a doubt, was a definite odd.

Both Stephanie and Paul's curiosity was deafening. They wanted to know who the father of this child was, but they knew well enough not to ask. It was inappropriate and could cause issues beyond compare. So, they bit their tongues and refused to ask. However, the expressions on their faces told the entire story and Paige easily read them.

"I'll look into some doctors," Paige explained. "I just figured you two would want to know before I start making any plans."

"You'll have to fill out some paperwork." Stephanie stood up and walked across the room to the printer where she slid a handful of papers from the tray. She quickly stapled them and handed them off to Paige, who stared at them as if they were written in a foreign language. "It's just a bunch of basic information that protects everyone from liabilities. We can't have any lawsuits that say we discriminated against you now that you're expecting."

Paige flipped through the first few pages before having to look away. The fine print was just fine enough to hurt her eyes. "When do these need to be filled out by?"

"As soon as possible," Stephanie stated quickly. "Preferably," she added, as if it changed a thing.

* * *

Dean ripped his suitcase out of the trunk of his car and began walking towards the arena, where he barely managed to dodge a familiar face. He waltzed past Emma with his sunglasses resting firmly against the bridge of his nose and his black t-shirt hugging his body generously, but he would argue until death that he wasn't strutting to prove a point. He was over her, as far as he was concerned.

Yet, when she didn't acknowledge his presence, anger filled his body.

Dean dragged his bags into the arena and stormed his way through the halls until he landed in his locker room. As a former champ, he was able to choose his own room at whatever arena he worked at. He usually chose one that was far enough away from other people but close enough to the ring so that he didn't have to stress his legs before a match.

As soon as he entered the empty room, he wasted no time in locking the door and shutting himself off from the rest of the wrestlers and crew in the building. He hadn't spent a full minute in isolation before his phone began to buzz in his back pocket.

"Yeah," he answered into the cellphone as he tossed his bags to the floor.

Seth cleared his throat before speaking. "Dean..."

"Seth, my man. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"I've been a little busy." He cleared his throat once more, as if it made a difference in the shaking of his voice. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

Dean scoffed and looked around his empty locker room. "Your timing couldn't be better. What's up?"

Seth sighed silently to himself and thought about his words carefully. He didn't want to tell one of his closest friends that he was going to be a father over the phone. He didn't want that awkward silence to occur through a phone call where he couldn't see Dean's facial expressions.

"I just... I just have a lot of stuff going on right now and I needed to talk to someone."

"Why do you sound so sentimental?" Dean shook his head and cleared his throat. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I don't know if I should say it on the phone."

Dean chuckled. "Don't be a bitch, Seth. What's going on?"

"It's something that I should tell you in person-"

"Seth," Dean interjected.

"What?"

"Just fucking say it, dude."

Seth took a second before sighing, realizing that if he made too big a deal of this, it would be harder to say. Sometimes, somethings just needed to be said and over with. This might have been one of those things.

"Paige is pregnant."

Dean stood in silence, his brain as blank as his throat. He didn't really understand why that was such a big deal to Seth, considering - to his knowledge - the two had ended things long ago.

Managing to take a breath, Dean shrugged. "I can't say I'm too surprised."

Seth shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard about her around the locker room." He ironically looked around the empty locker room and raised his eyebrows. "She doesn't really have the best track record when it comes to guys."

"I don't think you're getting it."

"What's there to get? The bitch is pregnant, so what? I'll tell you this, though; it will be interesting to see who the father ends up being."

Seth didn't respond, feeling warmth rise to his cheeks. Dean, while nowhere near the man, could sense through the silence that something suspicious was occurring, to which he responded with a simple, "Seth?"

Another silent answer.

Dean wasn't an idiot, but he was hopeful. "Seth, say something."

"Surprise," Seth whispered.

"You're not serious right now," Dean muttered.

Seth took a deep breath, forcing himself not to shake. "I'm going to be a dad, I guess."


End file.
